Iāve struggled with mental health for most of my life, as have family members and friends I love. Itās extremely important to me that we normalize discussions of mental health so that we can find the best solutions. Anxiety and depression have been major themes in all of the young adult novels Iāve written; itās my little way of furthering these conversations with the people who need them. I hope youāll find these suggestions relatable, enjoyable, and question-inducing!
Author Bill Konigsberg has always pulled me in with his entertaining, well-written, and deep stories. In The Music of What Happens, Max and Jordan bond over their effort to save a 1980s-era food truck to help Jordanās family stay afloat. Jordanās secret, though, is that his momās mental health is spiraling out of control, and he carries the burden of being the only person able to hold everything togetherāfinancially and emotionally. I fell hard for Max and Jordanās chemistry as well as for Jordanās struggle of helping his mother through her mental health struggles.
From the award-winning author of Openly Straight, a story about two teens falling in love over a summer that throws everything possible to keep them apart.
* "Konigsberg demonstrates once again why he is one of the major voices in LGBTQ literature." -- Booklist, starred reviewMax: Chill. Sports. Video games. Gay and not a big deal, not to him, not to his mom, not to his buddies. And a secret: An encounter with an older kid that makes it hard to breathe, one that he doesn't want to think about, ever.Jordan: The opposite of chill. Poetry. His "wives" and theā¦
I love reading about queer history: Itās the story of a diverse, courageous, and creative community, and itās filled with inspiring actions and fascinating people. Itās also a history I had to seek out for myself because it was never taught at schoolāand although there has been progress since I came out as queer three decades ago, this is still true for most teens today. Over the last few years, I have written LGBTQIA+ books for all ages, and spoken to thousands of students. The books on this list explore queer history in ways that I think many teens will find highly enjoyable as well as informative.
This oneās a bit different: not a novel, but a collection of short stories. And what a collection! Featuring short stories by a wonderfully talented group of authors (including two who are also on this list!), it covers hundreds of years of history, spans the globe, and dives into multiple genres. It is a great way for readers to explore queer historyāthe real thing and some fantasy versions--and discover new authors.
Take a journey through time and genres to discover stories where queer teens live, love, and shape the world around them.
Seventeen young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.
From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldierā¦to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobainā¦to forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish conventā¦and an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories acrossā¦
As a gay writer who has navigated some difficult life changes of my own, including cancer, a gay bashing, and the death of an early love, I always enjoy finding writers whose gay characters must deal with their own challenging life issues. Whether it's a coming-of-age tale, a puzzling mystery, or a suspenseful fantasy, each character comes to terms with accepting who he is in an often hostile world.
This book is engaging and brilliant, with a lot of humor but also real honesty and raw truth. A coming of age story for all ages. The story follows Ben, as he confronts of pressures of school and home, and his passion and attraction for two separate, and very different people.
In the companion to Openly Straight, Ben confronts pressure at school, repression at home, and his passion for two very different people in figuring out what it takes to be Honestly Ben.
The companion to the award-winning Openly Straight, called "remarkable...deeply satisfying and as honest as its appealing protagonist" (Booklist). Perfect for fans of David Levithan, Andrew Smith, and John Green!Ben Carver is back to normal. He's working steadily in his classes at the Natick School. He just got elected captain of the baseball team. He's even won a full scholarship to college, if he can keep up his grades.ā¦
